Just in case you didn’t know that I moved to a my new site and feed, please re-subscribe at www.you-made-that.com.  The feed is working and you won’t miss any updates from my blog.   Also for those of you who have asked “how do I print your recipes off?”  At the bottom of each post there is a new button you can push for printing!! Ya whoo

I’m still working on the feed burner and some other things so be patient but keep visiting me. and I hope you like the new site.

If you are here for the first time and want to subscribe to my feed please do at my new site www.you-made-that.com

Are you like me when it comes to sweet potatoes?…I only think of them once a year during the holidays.  My thoughts drift to the yummy sweet mashed, butter laden, cinnamon spiked, marshmallow crusted sweet potato dish my cousin makes at Thanksgiving.  If your answer was yes then let me introduce you to the lovely sweet potato whom should be thought of more than once a year and never in a can when fresh is so available and tasty.

I live in the South, but am originally from the West coast, and in the South everything is fried even the sweet potato just like french fries.  I like fried foods but I usually don’t fry at home very much because I grew up grilling not frying.  I was introduced last year to the french fried sweet potato and I loved it.  I thought I need to make these at home but lighten them up by baking them instead of frying.  They turned out delicious, I think I like them better than the fried version.  Baking the sweet potatoes brings out all of its natural sugars and then add a sprinkling of powdered sugar when serving and you have a wonderful side dish.  I could think of a ton of ways to make those healthy baked fries as unhealthy as their french fried sister, like pouring melted butter over them with cinnamon and sugar on top, but I think I will stick to the healthier way.  I know your really going to like how simple these baked fries are to make, so put 1 or 2 sweet potatoes on your grocery list and give these a try.

Recipe:

1-2 sweet potatoes peeled

2 T. vegetable oil

2 tsp. kosher sea salt

1-2 T. powdered sugar

Directions:

Cut peeled sweet potato in half then into wedges as evenly as possible, then cut wedges in half.  Put potatoes in gallon size zip lock bag add oil and salt, close and shake well.  Spread oiled potatoes out evenly on baking sheet.  If the potatoes do not touch each other they are less likely to steam and more likely to get a tougher browned crust like french fries.  Bake for 30 min. at 400 degrees until tender turning half way through the cook time.  Serve with a sprinkling of powdered sugar or eat plain.

Serves 4 – 6

If you have kids you might find out that they really like these fries because of their naturally sweet flavor and you can feel good about it knowing they are getting some real vegetables in.

Enjoy

Comfort food is simple food, something that makes us feel at home and comfortable, you know like sitting in a recliner bundled up with your favorite blanket and movie. This recipe fits that feeling for me and it’s especially good on a chilly evening.  Another reason to love this recipe is if your chicken is cooked ahead of time it’s a one pot meal.  I really hate doing a bunch of dishes so one pot meals are my kind of meal.  Kids will like this recipe too because my 9-year-old actually did which says a lot!  Kids really like the  mild flavor and biscuits on top.  The next time you’re in one of those cozy kind of moods make this simple dinner, then bundle up with your favorite blanket and watch a chic flick.

Recipe
2 large chicken breast cooked and cubed bite size
1 small yellow onion chopped fine
2 celery stalks chopped small
1 cup chopped carrots chopped small
1 large potato peeled and chopped bite size
3/4 stick of butter
1/4 cup of flour
1 1/2 cup half and half or milk
3 cups chicken broth
1 tsp. chicken bullion granules
1 tsp. garlic power
1 tsp. onion powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 can of Pillsbury Grand flaky layered biscuits

Cook chicken in about 4 cups of water in medium size pot, make sure the chicken is covered. Bring chicken to a boil then simmer until chicken is no longer pink on the inside.

While chicken is cooking get a 10 inch skillet and cook the onions, carrots, and celery in the butter on medium until veggies are translucent. When veggies are translucent sprinkle flour a little at a time through a sieve over the veggies stirring to incorporate after each sprinkling to make a roux. Now slowly add the 1/2 and 1/2 stirring to incorporate. Turn veggies to low and add the potatoes and slowly while stirring add 3 cups of broth. Add garlic and onion powder along with chicken bullion granules and stir. Cook on low stirring occasionally until potatoes are tender.

When chicken is done, cube the chicken and add to the skillet. If the chicken mixture looks like it needs more liquid add some broth thinning it out a bit.

Open biscuits and begin peel each biscuit in half so one biscuit turns into two. Put biscuits around the skillet until all the surface is covered. Biscuits should be touching each other, if you have extra biscuits fill in the empty places with bits of biscuit.

Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until biscuits are browned on top.

Serves 8

Enjoy this tasty recipe and don’t worry about the butter and half and half it’s not like you’re going to eat it everyday!

//

My first Daring Bakers Challenge for this month was to make donuts. You might be wondering what a Daring Bakers challenge is, well it is a group of mostly food bloggers who take on a food baking challenge chosen by other foodies once a month.  This month Lori from Butter Me Up choose the challenge and gave several recipes options to choose from.  I was excited to try donuts out, I had only made them twice before and not sure if you can count the first  time since I used canned biscuits and was about 10 years old. (hey, they were good though)

I choose Alton Brown’s recipe for yeast donuts.  Let’s just say I have a new-found respect for donut chefs/makers. They look rather simple but there is a learning curve (suppose that’s why it’s called a baker’s challenge).  The recipe was easy to follow but I found out later that my dough was a little too sticky which made it hard to get the nicely rounded shape off the cookie sheet and into the frying pan, in the same shape.  I then decided that donut holes were good, then just cut pieces of dough thrown in worked too!

Okay so let’s get started on the recipe so you can make your own donuts and learn from my mistakes.

Recipe:

• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 2 1/2 ounces vegetable shortening, approximately 1/3 cup
• 2 packages instant yeast
• 1/3 cup warm water (95 to 105 degrees F)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 4  2/3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting surface
• Peanut or vegetable oil, for frying (1 to 1/2 gallons, depending on fryer)

Directions:

Place the milk in a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat just until warm enough to melt the shortening. Place the shortening in a bowl and pour warmed milk over. Set aside.

In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and let dissolve for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, pour the yeast mixture into the large bowl of a stand mixer and add the milk and shortening mixture, first making sure the milk and shortening mixture has cooled to lukewarm. Add the eggs, sugar, salt, nutmeg, and half of the flour. Using the paddle attachment, combine the ingredients on low-speed until flour is incorporated and then turn the speed up to medium and beat until well combined. Add the remaining flour, combining on low-speed at first, and then increase the speed to medium and beat well. Change to the dough hook attachment of the mixer and beat on medium speed until the dough pulls away from the bowl and becomes smooth, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a well-oiled bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

On a well-floured surface, roll out dough to 3/8-inch thick.

Cut out dough using a 2 1/2-inch doughnut cutter or pastry ring and using a 7/8-inch ring for the center hole. Set on floured baking sheet, cover lightly with a tea towel, and let rise for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oil in a deep fryer or Dutch oven to 365 degrees F. Gently place the doughnuts into the oil, 3 to 4 at a time. Cook for 1 minute per side.

Transfer to a cooling rack placed in baking pan. Allow to cool for 15 to 20 minutes prior to glazing, if desired.

Time for the fun part glazing and decorating!

Chocolate Glaze Recipe:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup whole milk, warmed
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

Directions:

More fun than glazing was eating the donuts…mmmmmm!

Tips:

1. If you don’t have a thermometer then you really need one.  I used an electric frying pan with a temp dial on the side but I still don’t think it was accurate enough.  In my case not hot enough.
2. When the directions say cook 3-4 donuts do it, if you put more in the temp. of the oil will go down and cause your donuts to soak up more of the oil.
3. I didn’t have a donut cutter so I used a drinking glass and a small round biscuit cutter for the center.  If I try again I think I would like a donut cutter.
4. When using glaze and sprinkles make sure you use the sprinkles immediately or they won’t stick to the glaze.

I believe if you follow the directions exactly and follow my tips you will have wonderful donuts.  My donuts were good but a bit too greasy because of the temperature not staying high enough.  Hope you try your hand at donuts sometime.

Well, I went down to buy some white chocolate chips and thought I picked the right bag up and got home and they were milk chocolate chips…oops. So I did what any good baker would do”improvised” with dark chocolate chips. They were quit tasty I must say but I really think the white chocolate would be great too.
Okay now I’m sending you all over to those Blue Eyed Bakers for the recipe but I’m trusting you’ll come back to my site. They have some pretty fabulous recipes over there so give them a shout out and happy baking!

Pie to die for!  Yes, pumpkin pie but in ice-cream which is really easy to make.  Caramel, toasted pecans and mini chocolate chips make this pie extra special. The only bad part about making this pie is “patience”, you can’t rush the freezing process, but its worth it.   Make this little pie for Thanksgiving and your family will be asking for it every year.

Recipe
1 graham cracker pie crust
1 jar of caramel ice-cream topping
1/4 cup of mini chocolate chips
1 cup of toasted pecan
pumpkin ice cream

First begin by making the ice cream , follow recipe except leave out yogurt.

Toast pecans over the stove top by putting them in a small pan and turning to low and cooking for 5 min. tossing every so often.  Do not put oil or butter in pan just the nuts.

When nuts are toasted  chop half of the nuts and put in the crust.  Sprinkle half of the mini chips on top of nuts and spread ingredient out evenly.

Pour about 1/4 cup of caramel on top of nuts and chips.

When ice cream is done pour into pie crust on top of caramel mixture spread with a spatula to even the ice-cream out.

After pie has froze for several hours add the caramel on top and then mini chips. Be careful not to pour too much caramel sauce on because it will want to over flow the sides

After the pie has been in the freezer for another hour pipe the whipped topping on.  I used cool whip but you may use whipping cream.

Now add the final touch of whole roasted pecans on top of the cream.  If you prefer to chop the nuts and sprinkle them 

all over that would be pretty too.

Linked to Tasty Tuesdays and Newlyweds Blog

I can’t believe I haven’t posted a pancake recipe yet because we eat them at least once a week.  I usually don’t make then from scratch because  Krustz brand has a complete pancake mix which is pretty good, if you doctor it up a bit, which of course I usually do.  I have to admit I made these when I was the only one home because I am not a morning person and my family starts the day out way to early for me to cook for them.  I felt a bit guilty eating my photo shoot because they were so darn good and not a soul to share them with, but someone had too!  Anyway, these pancakes are a weekend pleasure breakfast for sure, so try them out on your family this weekend.

Recipe
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 T. wheat germ
1 T. cinnamon
1 T. baking powder
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 cup butter melted
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup of un-sweetened apple sauce
1 can of apple pie filling

Directions
Put all dry ingredients in a medium large bowl and set aside. In another bowl whisk together the melted butter, buttermilk, eggs, and applesauce.   Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir together. The batter will be thick.

Drop desired amount (about 1/3 cup) onto hot skillet that has been greased with butter or cooking spray.
Cook about a minute or two until the top of the pancake is setting up and bubbles begin to break. Flip cake over and cook another 2 min. or so.

Open a can of apple pie filling into a small bowl and put a pat of butter in with it and a sprinkling of cinnamon and sugar. Microwave on high for 1 1/2 min. and stir.

When pancakes are done put a heaping tablespoon of apple pie filling on top, then add maple syrup to your liking. A sprinkling of nuts on top would be great too, enjoy

If you like this recipe check out some other great apple recipes:
Butter Yum
One Perfect Bite
Mommie Cooks

I feel like Rachel Ray with 30 min. meals because this pasta dish is delicious and fast.  Italian sausage, yellow peppers, mushrooms, onions, garlic and tomatoes cook up fast like stir fry, add some sun-dried tomato pesto for tons of flavor.  Top it off with pecorino romano cheese and fresh basil, it will leave your taste buds wanting more.

Recipe
2 Johnsonville Italian Sausages skin removed
1/2 yellow onion chopped chunky
1 small yellow bell pepper sliced in med. strips and cut in half again
6 mushrooms sliced
2 garlic gloves crushed
1 tsp. dried basil
1 T. olive oil
1 T. of sun-dried tomato pesto or tomato paste
1 14.5 oz. can of chopped tomato un-drained
1 9 oz. package of fresh cheese filled spinach tortellini
Fresh basil optional

Directions:
Chop onions, bell peppers, mushrooms and set aside.
Take off the casings of the sausage by slitting it with a knife lightly and pulling them off. In a large skillet heat a tablespoon of olive oil on medium high and pinch off small bite size portions of the sausage. Cook sausage in oil until browned.  Now add the onion, bell peppers, and mushrooms, garlic cook stirring often.

Meanwhile start large pot of salted water on high heat to cook the pasta. When water boils add the pasta and cook for 6-7 minutes.

Add tomatoes, dried basil and 1 T. of sun-dried tomato pesto or tomato paste to the sausage to mixture turn heat down to low and cook while pasta cooks for 6-7 min. When tortellini is done scoop out with slotted spoon and add to the sausage mixture toss lightly.

Serve immediately with chopped fresh bail and pecorino romano cheese sprinkled on top to your liking.

Serves 4
This  post is linked to Foodie Fridays

I took a little field trip to The Green Tomato Restaurant in Texarkana, Texas. I took my good friend not really knowing what to expect. The Green Tomato has been in business for about 18 months but it’s location is not on my beaten path.  Josh Douglas and Chad Sparkman the head cooks/friends/owners have been in the restaurant business for 25 years combined.  They have a love for food and it shows in the dishes they prepare and by the happy people leaving  after a meal.

When driving up to the restaurant I could tell it must be good because it was an hour past lunch and there were still plenty of cars in the parking lot.  Upon entering, I was greeted with the smells of good Southern, down home cooking.  Our waitress was pleasant and soon we met Josh the co-owner, whom we asked what to order.  He recommended trying the appetizer basket so we could try out the fried green tomatoes. Honestly, I had only had them once (at another restaurant) and didn’t really like them, but was willing to try them out to make sure.

Are you drooling over the picture yet?  This is the appetizer basket and it was as good as it looks.  It came hot with two sauces, a house spicy sauce somewhat like fry and tartar sauce mixed together and ranch dressing.  I was so surprised at how good the fried green tomatoes were, I loved them.   All of the fried foods are hand battered in either flour and cornmeal or both that is spiked with seasonings that are secret!  Oh, how I’d love to know that secret.

After the delicious appetizers we enjoyed I could have gone home happy.  But oh no, we weren’t threw we had only begun, lunch was cooking now.  I ordered “Chicken Fried Chicken” with mashed potatoes, green beans and a roll.

Just look at that gorgeous food!  It was seriously good.  The chicken was mmmmm…love at first bite.  It was moist not dried out like some fried chicken.  The juicy chicken went perfect with mashed potatoes that are to die for, smothered with plenty of white gravy, my favorite.  This was no lunch- it turned out to be three meals for me! Well, I did share some of my left over meal with my son too.  My friend Virgina ordered some great catfish and shrimp, and she loved all of hers too.  The Catfish was just right, along with plump fried shrimp and homemade hush-puppies, she said the hush-puppies were the best she’d ever had.

We ended our lunch with some chocolate pie and sopapilla  cheesecake.  I didn’t get good enough pictures of those desserts to do them justice.  Sufficed to say, they were just as tasty as the rest of the food we ate at The Green Tomato.

On my second visit I got to see just what goes on back in the kitchen where the magic happens.  The Green Tomato is known for great burgers so it was time for me to learn how to make the “Mile High Burger”.  Little did I know, I would be eating that huge burger we were about to make.   I wish I could tell you I squeezed out the secrets of the Green Tomato but no luck there.  Josh was kind enough to walk me through how to put together this colossal burger so watch and learn.

Yes, all the ingredients shown is what goes on one burger plus the bacon isn’t in the picture.

I think Josh said 8 spices go into his handmade hamburger patties…I tried to guess one and it wasn’t there.  It’s almost done on the grill, cheese, mushrooms, and ham yes this is a true HAM-burger.

Starts off rather simple a grilled cheese on Texas toast but then it grows with the addition of lettuce, tomato, hamburger patty, cheese, mushrooms, ham, and 2 fried eggs plus bacon (more ham), BBQ sauce and 4 hand breaded onion rings, then top it off with another grilled cheese…. whew!

There you have it “Green Tomatoes~Mile High Burger“ doesn’t that look so good? Now who is going to eat this thing ha ha…me!

Can you see that my mouth is open as big as it gets!  There was no way I was going to be in the Hall of Fame finishing this one, more like the Hall of Shame.

I made a small dent, the trick to eating this burger is smashing it down before the first bite so it will somewhat fit in your mouth then never set it down!  If you think you can eat this baby then come on give it a try.

This beautiful BLT was Josh’s idea of a light lunch.  I like his idea of a light lunch don’t you?

I may not have made the hall of fame here but I did buy me one of these great shirts.  Two things are for sure whether you order the mile high burger or fried green tomato BLT you will love the food and how nice the people who work there are.  I really enjoyed my experience at The Green Tomato, so give them a try if you are ever in Texarkana, Texas they are located at 2902 S. Lake Dr., thanks Josh and staff who made my visit delicious!